The phone rang six times before Laurel answered with a breathless, “Hello?”
“It’s me, Aaron.”
“Hi. What’s up?” She took a deep breath and tried to keep her tone neutral.
“You seem rushed. You okay?” Aaron said.
Oh, yeah. Visions of the evening ahead played through her mind. Just wonderful. “Shouldn’t I be?” There was a hint of sarcasm underlying her words. “Or is there something else you forgot to tell me not to do?”
“Don’t. I thought we were okay about things. I just wanted to check in with you.” He hesitated a moment. “I wanted to make sure there were no problems with canceling tonight’s dinner.”
Irritated, Laurel rose from the arm of the couch and started prowling around the room. So that’s why he’s calling. “None at all. No problems. Anything else on your mind?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer. “Well, that’s good because I have to go now.”
Laurel hung up the phone. That was stupid. You shouldn’t have gotten off so quickly. Now he’ll wonder why.
Anxiety, mixed with hostility, began to bubble up inside her. She took a deep gulp of air but couldn’t let go of the brief conversation or the feeling of panic it raised. How dare he call to check up on me? I told him I’d cancel the dinner. Her inner voice was in turmoil. I thought he believed me. What will he do when he finds out I didn’t tell the truth?
“C’mon, Laurel,” she said to her own image in the mirror over her couch. “Just finish getting dressed and get on with it.”
Laurel’s attitude during their brief conversation didn’t fool Aaron. He spent more years than he cared to remember around devious people who tried every trick in the book to outsmart the cops with a little misdirection. Most of them failed miserably. Aaron recognized the signs and knew right off when that happened.
In his cluttered office in the Thirteenth Precinct, Aaron sat back in his chair and put his feet up on his battered desk. He had a lot to think about and a short time in which to act. Protocol demanded he share the information he had uncovered about Sal Santucci and the ATM scam with the OCU detectives who had been on the mobster’s case for years. Aaron put his career on the line by holding back. Because of the twists and turns the case took, and Laurel’s involvement, he wanted to solve it. Even though they butted heads at every turn, he knew her motives were heartfelt. He believed he owed it to her to personally get David Adams and bring closure to Anne Ellsworth’s death.
Her subterfuge was transparent. Understanding that didn’t make it any easier to swallow. Laurel was lying to him again and it hurt.
She was strong willed and determined … a combination that often added up to trouble. “Damn!” He smacked his hand on the desk. He was certain she hadn’t canceled her dad’s birthday dinner as promised. She was going ahead with her plan to confront Matt. It was stupid and dangerous. He had explained all that to her, but obviously it didn’t mean enough. Maybe their lovemaking didn’t, either.
Pushing that notion away, Aaron channeled his frustration into formulating a plan. He leaned back farther in his chair, until the springs howled in protest. He wouldn’t be able to stop her, but he’d do his damndest to protect her. If that bothered her, well screw her, too.